A district heating and cooling (DHC) network and/or thermal grid includes a system wherein heating and cooling capabilities are procured centrally for an area, and hot and cold water can be provided to one or more buildings and/or structures for the area. Additionally, a DHC network can include heat exchangers and meters at user and/or customer premises.
A DHC utility generally aims for fairness in operation; that is, the DHC utility aims to serve all of its consumers satisfactorily by providing the desired indoor thermal comfort level (such as a set-point temperature) to all consumers. However, potentially unfair scenarios can result, for example, when supply is less than demand. Such scenarios can arise, for example, during and/or after extreme weather conditions, as well as during periods of significant demand.